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Putting the “Art” in Artificial?
Today, The New York Times posted an article about an artist in my neck of the woods. Sorry, if it’s behind a paywall for you—here is what the local paper, The Pueblo Chieftain had to say. The lowdown: The Colorado State Fair recently hosted a digital arts competition. The first-place winner, Jason Allen, used an…
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Life Imitating Art Imitating Life
When I was seventeen, my boyfriend and I wanted to go see a movie. (I know, shocker.) It had already made it through the “main” theaters and was now at the dollar theater, which—before this night—had never carded me and I’d already seen a couple R-rated films there. But, apparently, someone somewhere had gotten in…
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Mojave Ravens
December, 2021, I am driving through the Mojave Desert and, despite the beautiful red rocks, despite the vast sense of space, despite the crystal blue sky, I can’t shake the sensation that this is a deadly landscape. It’s winter, so the temperature is reasonable in the middle of the day: 53°. I’m not worried about…
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3 Points of View in True Crime Documentaries: Criminal, Victim, Detective
I.The criminal, serial killer Danny Rolling, is introduced as a child. Here are his parents—see how poorly they handled him. See how his father disciplined him. See how his father, so strict, a cop, had him arrested. See how his father told him he was never wanted. One morning a boy wakes up and shoots…
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Scared Kid Writes Horror
The dark hides me. It’s safer here, hidden. My mother tells me this story later: she heard crying, a child, outside. She thought “That sounds like Jenny.” She goes outside and finds two-year-old me, outside, in the middle of the night, when I’m supposed to be in bed. This is the first recorded time of…
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Sitting in (Non) Silence with Nosferatu
Ninety-nine years ago Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror was released, bringing the grotesque, lanky, crooked-fingernailed, figure of Max Schrek’s Count Orlok to life. Directed by F.W. Murnau, Nosferatu is now regarded as a groundbreaking piece of cinema. I’ve been meaning to watch it for a long time and this past Saturday night I finally watched…
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Movies as “Cliff’s Notes”
When Game of Thrones released on HBO, I watched it religiously. Like millions of others, I ate up season one. Gobbled it. So tasty. I loved, and still love, the characters (#TeamSansa), the style, the plot twists. And here is where I have to admit an unpopular thing. I’d started – or tried to start…
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“The Jogger”
Exciting news! My short story “The Jogger” is now up at All Worlds Wayfarer. Many moons ago, Ray Bradbury wrote a story where he explored the idea that the looky-loos at all accidents were actually the same people every time. Well, you know how it always seems like joggers find the bodies? (As one friend…
Got any book recommendations?